A great drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway (one of my favorite roads) and got to the parking area. In the weeks prior, I had hiked 100 miles on the Appalachian Trail, so I was in pretty good shape to make the sprint to the top. It was a cool day, and somewhat cloudy, but I (stupidly) did this one wearing flip flops, shorts and a t-shirt. Thankfully, I wasn't going to be long up there. Other people thought I was nuts, and said so. I love the South… people definitely speak their minds.

Great views and I'll someday be back here to do this when I do more of the AT.

Couldn't pass this one up on our drive north to Grandfather MountainDate Climbed: Nov 8, 2013

Bitter cold and windy November day with temps well below freezing up top! Passed ice and bits of snow on the Blue Ridge Parkway on our way here! For some reason the view seemed better than Clingman's Dome! Loved seeing Tablerock and Hawksbill and remembering climbing Tablerock so many years ago!

Started at the Visitor's center and took the Old Mt. Mitchell trail to the summit, and then on to Mt. Craig, Big Tom, Balsam Cone, and Cattail Pk., and back the same way, plus the nature trail, for 3116' of gain.

"Summited" with my wife (No. 13). Blue Ridge parkway closed between Asheville and Mt. Mitchell (sink hole) so had to drive the long way around. Very winding road but scenic. Cool and cloudy at summit. We ate at the Mt. Mitchell state park restaurant on the way down, good food, great view.

Kerouac had nothing on me: I decided to climb Mt. Mitchell at 8pm, rented a car at 9pm, drove 14 hours straight from NYC, arrived at the trail head at around noon the next day, climbed, drove straight home, returning at around 7am the day after.